State of Hawaii

April 2009

Commercial Seed Production

Tropic Sun seed can be produced by following

the directions for establishment, except that 30- to
40-inch rows and seeding rates of 5 to 12 pounds ‘Tropic Sun’ sunn hemp
pure live seed (PLS) per acre are normally used.
The plants should be irrigated if needed until about Hoolehua Plant
75 percent are flowering, then they should be al-
lowed to mature seed and dry. It may be necessary Materials Center
to dry the plants with a chemical desiccant if rains
cause them to remain green at harvest. About five
months are required for plants to fully develop and
produce ripe seed.

Tropic Sun seed can be harvested by direct

combining and cleaned using standard seed cleaning
Availability
procedures.

For more information on Tropic Sun and the

Pacific Islands Area Plant Materials Program,
contact your local USDA NRCS office or visit
our website at: www.pia.nrcs.usda.gov

‘Tropic Sun’ sunn hemp flower,

HOOLEHUA PLANT MATERIALS CENTER
Hoolehua Plant Materials Center. MOLOKAI, HAWAII

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

P.O. Box 236
Hoolehua, HI 96729
USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

Phone: 808-567-6885
Fax: 808-567-6537 Hoolehua Plant Materials Center
Helping People Help the Land Molokai, Hawaii
 Tropic Sun sunn hemp
‘Tropic Sun’ sunn hemp is recommended as a rapid-growing
leguminous green manure crop to be included in rotation with
vegetable, ornamental, and other plants to add nitrogen and
organic matter, to suppress weeds, to control erosion, and to
reduce root-knot nematodes. It was released in 1982 by the
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the
College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources, Univer-
sity of Hawaii.
Tropic Sun can produce over 145 pounds of actual nitrogen
per acre at 60 days of growth. It can produce organic matter
yields of as much as three tons per acre of air-dried weight
within 60 days if growing conditions are favorable. In addition,
it is resistant to root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.)
Description
Tropic Sun (Crotalaria juncea L.) is an erect, branching, annual
legume. It is a rapid, vigorous grower, achieving a height of 4
to 6 feet in 60 days, when grown under favorable conditions.
The plants are generally unbrached from the ground to ap-
proximately 2 feet. Above this height, many branches develop
if plants are not crowded. Branching begins higher and fewer
branches develop in a thick stand such as a green manure
crop.
The simple, elliptical leaves are 2 ½ to 5 inches long, and ½
to 1 inch wide. The flowers are bright yellow and, typically,
18 to 20 develop on terminal racemes. The papery, inflated
seed pods are cylindrical, 1 inch to 1 ¼ inches long, and ¼ to
½ inch wide. Seeds are dark slate green and about ¼ inch
long. There are about 15,000 seed per pound. The Tropic
Sun sunn hemp cultivar is non-toxic to poultry and livestock
as shown by laboratory tests and feeding trials (Rotar and Joy,
1983).
‘Tropic Sun’ sunn hemp at 45 days,
Hoolehua Plant Materials Center.
‘Tropic Sun’ sunn hemp,
Hoolehua Plant Materials Center.
Adaptation
In Hawaii, Tropic Sun can be grown year-round up to an
elevation of 1,000 feet and can be grown in summer up to
2,500 feet. It is not recommended for use above 2,500
feet in Hawaii.
The Pacific Islands Area and Puerto Rico can grow
Tropic Sun. In the continental United States, it is adapted
to spring and summer planting in the South and South-
west. It requires warm weather (frost free) for 8 to 12
weeks. It will not set seed consistently north of 28 de-
grees N latitude and has little potential to volunteer.
Tropic Sun does not perpetuate itself well and is not
found in the wild.
Tropic Sun is adapted to well-drained soils that range
from coarse to fine in texture, but not dense clay. It will
grow in infertile as well as fertile soils with a pH from 5
to 7.5.
‘Tropic Sun’ sunn hemp being mowed,
prior to being plowed under.
Establishment
Tropic Sun seed should be broadcast and covered
or drilled about ½ to 1 inch deep in a well-prepared,
weed-free seedbed. A soil test should be taken, and
fertilizer and other soil amendments applied as rec-
ommended. In lieu of a soil test, 100 to 150 pounds
per acre of P2O5 can be applied as superphosphate,
0-20-20 fertilizer or the equivalent. Calcium carbon-
ate, to adjust pH to a least 6.0, and phosphorous are
needed for maximum production of organic matter
and nitrogen. The phosphorus can also be used by
the succeeding cash crop.
If broadcast, Tropic Sun should be seeded at the
rate of 40 to 60 pounds of pure live seed (PLS) per
acre. If drilled, it should be seeded at a rate of 20 to
50 pounds PLS per acre in 6- to 18-inch rows. The
higher seeding rates should be used if the crop is to
be turned under in less than 60 days (30 to 45 days)
or if severe weed competition is expected. High
plant populations also tend to enhance stem succu-
lence for easier incorporation. The seed should be
inoculated with cowpea type legume inoculant to
ensure effective nodulation, as some soils may not
contain the correct Bradyrhizobium strain.
Management
Irrigation may be needed for rapid germination and
growth. Although Tropic Sun is drought tolerant, it
should receive a minimum of one acre inch of mois-
ture per week for maximum growth.
Tropic Sun should be plowed under at bud or early
bloom stage, which normally is about 60 days or less
after planting. At this growth stage, nitrogen content
is high and decomposition is rapid. If allowed to
grow too tall or become over mature, Tropic Sun
becomes fibrous and will be difficult to turn under.
If soil moisture is at the correct level and the plants
are succulent, Tropic Sun can be plowed (a single
plow will usually do a better job than multiple plows),
rototilled with a rear-mounted tiller, or disked with a
heavy disk. Mowing before turning under may be
beneficial, especially if the crop is tall (over 4 feet).
Home gardeners and farmers with light tillage equip-
ment should plan to incorporate the plants when
they are no taller than about three feet.